Page 78 of Tis the Season for Tentacles
After our heart-to-heart, Felix crashes and falls fast asleep with Cosmo curled up protectively by his head.
“You keep an eye on him,” I whisper to the little foxhound.
He yawns back, which I take for agreement.
I waste no time in rounding up Luna, Khephren, and Sasha so I can share the plan that’s been slowly developing in my mind over the last hour.
When I get to the end, Sasha nods his head in approval. “Wow, man. Didn’t know you had it in you.”
Khephren grabs me in a tight hug, his tentacles vibrating. “Ialwaysknew you had it in you! I’m so proud of you!”
However, Luna nervously jiggles her foot. “Do you think this will really work?”
“I don’t know for certain, but we have to try. Are you all willing to help me?”
“All for one and one for all,” Rambo says and beeps as he twirls around us.
Sasha gives me a fist bump. “We’ve got your back, man. And for the record, I think you two are a good match.”
“Of course, they are,” Khephren adds with a dreamy sigh. “They were brought together by the magic of Christmas. It’sdestiny.”
I would normally quibble with such rhetoric, but for once, I keep my mouth shut. After all, what are the odds that I would find my one true love in this big, vast universe the way that I did? Even to me, it feels pretty magical.
Luna laughs. “It sure has been fun watching the mighty fall. Never thought Najar would become a big schmoopy fool for love.”
I give her a mischievous side-eye. “Well, if the Christmas romance tradition holds, we all know who’s next in line, don’t we?”
Everyone stares at Luna, who backs up, hands in the air. “Whoa, let’s not start talking out of turn here, folks.”
However, I have a sneaking suspicion that if my plan works, I might just be helping orchestrate a romance for Luna too.
“Do you think we can make it to Earth by Christmas Eve?” I ask Khephren.
He immediately hurries to his station and begins recalculating our route. “Hmm, I think we can make it work—just barely.”
Originally, we had planned to arrive closer to Earth’s New Year’s Eve, but with my new plan, I want us to get there before Christmas.
“Now here’s the most important part,” I tell everyone. “For the next few days, you have to keep this a secret from Felix. I don’t want to prematurely get his hopes up, and if this works out the way I’m hoping it will, then it will be my Christmas present to him.”
“Aww!” Khephren says, hearts in his eyes. “That’s so sweet. Felix brings out the best in you, my friend.”
On that, I cannot disagree.
However, I soon discover that keeping things a secret from Felix proves more challenging than I anticipated. Every time he looks at me and gives me that smile he saves just for me, I want to bare my soul. I’m probably more relieved than anyone when it’s finally Christmas Eve.
“Don’t worry,” I tell Felix for the umpteenth time. “My nearly foolproof plan is already in motion.”
Felix nibbles on his bottom lip while stroking Cosmo’s fur. “I trust you, I really do, but I can’t help but be a little anxious. Won’t you let me in on at least part of what you’ve figured out?”
“Everything will be revealed very soon.”
“The man-of-mystery thing you have going on is not helping my nerves,” he grumbles.
I pull him into my arms, and he rests his head on my chest. “I can’t believe it’s Christmas Eve already,” he says with a sigh.
“I know, but this is the season of miracles, isn’t it?”
He pulls back and arches an eyebrow at me. “I thought you didn’t believe in any of that kind of stuff.”
